There is a need for high capacity and high density optical fiber connectors that facilitate maintenance of a single optical fiber assembly without disrupting communications through of all the other optical fiber assemblies. For example, there are requests for connector systems with hundreds of fiber assemblies to fit within eight inches square of space on a panel, the system being composed of separate modules of thirty-two fibers each. Such assembly must allow a single fiber assembly to be removed for cleaning or other maintenance and repair without disrupting communications through the other hundreds of optical fibers. A system which was very compact but still allowed individual fiber maintenance would be of value.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, applicant provides an optical fiber connector system of a type that has individual alignment sleeves and loading springs for each pair of coupled optical fiber assemblies for efficient light coupling. The system organizes the fibers and cables extending from each of a plurality of modules to enable easy access to an individual optical fiber assembly. Each rear module includes a module body and a backshell extending rearwardly from the module body. Optical fiber cables that each includes a plurality of optical fibers, have jackets with jacket front ends lying within the backshell. Free optical fiber portions extending forward at the jackets and within the front of the backshell, extend into passages in the rear module body. Each backshell has a rectangular front end and each backshell has a pair of fastener-receiving backshell passages at opposite corners. A pair of backshell fasteners extends through each backshell passage, each fastener having a front end that is detachably connected to the rear body of the module.
The modules are arranged in a plurality of rows and columns in corresponding ports of a main rear shell. Each port receives one of the module bodies and has a pair of internal flanges for receiving jackscrews.
Jackscrews that fasten each module body to the rear shell, are aligned with the backshell fasteners. The backshell fasteners have wrench-receiving passages extending along their axes, so a wrench can pass through a backshell fastener to turn a jackscrew.
A cable holder has a rear end that lies within the backshell and that holds the front ends of the optical cables where the individual cables are unwrapped from the cable jackets. The cable holder has a post that extends forwardly and is coupled to the module housing to fix the positions of the cable front ends. This facilitates removal of an individual optical fiber assembly from a passage of the module housing.
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.